Open Letter to Glamour

After the disappointing read of CNN’s article on endometriosis that ended up being a regurgitation of common myths and misinformation, I was excited to see that your magazine had decided to cover endometriosis following Lena Dunham’s announcement. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by your “everything you need to know” and “real deal” accounting of this disease that plagues as many as 176 million women worldwide. I don’t expect you to be able to tell me everything I need to know about endometriosis in 500 words—I’ve lived with the disease all my life and I still do not know everything I need to know. What would have been refreshing is to see an article on why this disease is such a mystery, why there are limited treatment options, and why the disease is so unknown to the general population. And I hope you do decide to do a full story, taking a cue from The Guardian that published articles over several weeks in 2015. While we desperately need the awareness that celebrities can raise, we do not need the misinformation that comes with unresearched stories designed to get clicks and edge in on the story before the digital ink fades and the masses are on to the next news item. The fact is, endometriosis will ALWAYS be relevant, and your readers will benefit from learning the real facts about endo—doing so could save a woman’s fertility. As someone who has read Glamour and engaged in its content and who suffers from this disease your commitment to ethical journalism should compel you to address endometriosis. Properly.